The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-27
A PARIS SPECTACLE.
An Episode of MacEfahon and the Mar
ket Women.
From Household Words.

From Household Words
About year after the conclusion of the
Franco-Prussian war / CHANGED to be in
Paris at the time of a great military funeral
that of Gen. Valliere. With true Brit
isher's love of a pageant-always doubly at
tractive if funereal-I started off in hot
haste to view the procession. A few francs
secured for me window which looked on
to the square where one of the great mar
kets was being held. [ had not long to
wait; in very few minutes the dull, SOL
emn tones of the drums and the heavy thud
of the footsteps were heard. AS the long
line of soldiers were passing through the
square noticed that the market women
'les danes de La halle, as they are styled
regarded them with no great favor. At first
the women showed kind of sulky indiffer-
ence, then contempt and a snouldering
anger. which poded iii for the future The
soldiers were evidently accustomed to this
treatment, for they went quietly on their
way, looking neither to the right nor the
left. At last espied in the distance Marshal
MacMahon, riding at the head of his troops.
The moment he came in view one of those
subtle cha ges passed through that crowd of
women, which Indicates that positive is
added to the negative electricity with which
the air is charged. Their eyes flashed, their
HuSueu, anu IL S6Sillbl dS IL Ule1, OUe
and all, held their breath. But this was
only for one instant; the next the very air
was rent; for, moved by some common i'm
pulse, as the Marshal entered the square.
they burst into loud shrek of execration.
william - scoundrel - murderer" were
among the mildest epithets they hurled at
HIM, evidently they had neither forgotten
nor forgiven the Versaiilist massacres,
in which, perhaps, their husbands or
g. I, -I.,,,,
time in my life that l had seen an excited
crowd, and in my inexperience, Judging of
the designs of these women by the fury of
their gestures and language, | trembled for
the Marshal; | was sure they would tear
him to pieces. He is a soldierly man, gilt
tering with orders and decorations and rode
quietly forward until the women, throng-
ing in his path, rendered further advance
impossible. Then my fear was for them, not
him, and waited in terror, expecting to
hear him order his men to clear path But
no. With quiet smile Marshal MacMahon
looked down on the angry crowd around
him; then, taking OFT his hat with courtly
flourish, he called out in q tone of gentle
raillery, as if addressing children who
must be coaxed into good tempels:
Good day, ladies! please let me pass?'
There was an instant's pause, and then, with
a laugh, they stood out of his way, more
than one OF tnem muttefing: Hes good
fellow, after ALL In less than five minutes
the feelings of the crowd changed from bit
terest hatred and thirst FIR revenge to
friendly liberation, both feelings being for
the time utterly and entirely sincere. These
women did hate MacMahon; they would
have liked to tear him limb from limb;
and yet, at smile, courteous word and
gesture, they became tolerant, almost
friendly. And he, the much-hated Mac
Mahon, the commander of the Versa list
massacre, was within few months, amid
general reclamation, proclaimed President
of the French Ranuhlic